1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a disk apparatus, and more particularly to a disk apparatus including a tray-type disk loading mechanism.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, the disk loading operation of a disk apparatus (for example, a CD-ROM drive) is divided into two major actions: (1) to insert the tray on which the disk is placed, into the main body of the disk apparatus, and (2) to set the disk, inserted in the main body, in a hold state in which the disk is held on the turntable of the disk apparatus (specifically, the disk is clamped between the turntable and the clamper). These actions are usually performed by using a driving force of a motor. In order to comply with a recent demand for smaller-size disk drive, several approaches to a disk loading mechanism that performs the two actions (1) and (2) by using a single motor have been proposed. A disk apparatus including the disk loading mechanism of this type is known from, for example, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 7-282512.
In the disk apparatus disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 7-282512, the disk loading mechanism is configured such that a single motor functions to insert the tray with the disk placed thereon, into the main body and to set the disk within the main body in the hold state in which the disk is clamped between the turntable and the clamper. In addition, in this disk apparatus, a movable base including the turntable and a spindle motor to rotate the disk on the turntable is provided. The movable base is raised or lowered with respect to the position of the tray by a drive device.
When the tray with the disk placed thereon is inserted into the main body, the movable base is raised by the drive device and the turntable is also raised together with the movable base. With the upward movement of the turntable, the disk is separated from the tray and placed on the turntable. As the movable base is further raised, the disk on the turntable is raised toward the clamper, which consequently sets the disk in the hold state in which the disk is held between the clamper and the turntable. These actions are called the disk loading operation of the disk apparatus.
On the other hand, when the disk is ejected from the disk apparatus, the movable base is lowered with respect to the position of the tray by the drive device. The turntable is also lowered together with the movable base. With the lowering movement of the turntable, the disk, held on the turntable, is separated from the clamper. As the movable base is further lowered, the disk is placed again on the tray. Following such actions, the tray is ejected from the main body of the disk apparatus and moved to a disk-change position where the disk on the tray can be taken out by the user. These actions are called the disk ejecting operation of the disk apparatus.
The above-mentioned disk loading mechanism has a structure that the movable base having the turntable provided thereon is raised or lowered. During the disk ejecting operation after an end of the reproducing process, there is a possibility that a faulty ejecting operation may take place with the disk loading mechanism. If the speed of lowering of the movable base by the drive device is too high, the ejection of the tray from the main body is started before the disk is placed at the right position of the tray.
If the tray is ejected from the main body with the disk not placed at the right position of the tray, the disk that is not firmly held on the tray may interfere with, for example, the front bezel (provided at the front end surface of the main body of the disk apparatus), which will damage the disk and/or the part of the disk apparatus. In cases of 8-cm CD-ROM drives, the faulty ejecting operation is more likely to occur.
Further, if a foreign matter sticks to the tray on which the disk is placed and the disk loading operation is performed with the above-mentioned disk loading mechanism, there is a possibility that a faulty loading operation may take place. After the disk loading operation is complete, the disk with the foreign matter attached thereto is clamped between the turntable and the clamper, and it is difficult for the disk loading mechanism to firmly hold the disk on the turntable. In such a case, the rotation of the disk on the turntable may not be maintained at an appropriate speed. Alternatively, a faulty operation may be performed such as an undesired lowering of the movable base. Further, if the speed of the tray being moved by the drive device is high, the disk may rattle within the tray during the movement.
Further, in the case of the disk loading mechanism having the structure that the movable base having the turntable provided thereon is raised or lowered, when the upward movement of the turntable makes the disk separated from the tray, the disk must be placed on the turntable with good positioning accuracy. If the positioning at that time is unsuitable, the disk is not placed at the right position of the turntable.
A conventional disk apparatus is configured with the tray having projections (or tray bosses) for preventing the unsuitable positioning during the disk loading operation. With the projections of the tray, the conventional disk apparatus is provided with the drive device (e.g., the slider provided for raising or lowering the movable base) having connecting portions. When the tray is moved to a predetermined position during the disk loading operation, the projections of the tray are connected to the connecting portions of the drive device. With the contact between the tray bosses and the connecting portions, the relative position between the tray and the turntable is maintained with good accuracy when placing the disk on the turntable.
However, the above conventional disk apparatus must be provided with the tray having the projections and the slider having the connecting portions, in order to maintain the relative position between the tray and the turntable with good accuracy. The tray and the slider are both moving parts that are moved during the disk loading operation of the disk apparatus, and the tray projections and the connecting portions are not always set at the predetermined position where they should be brought into contact with each other. Misalignment of the tray and the slider is highly possible. Hence, it is difficult for the above conventional disk apparatus to maintain the relative position between the tray and the turntable with good accuracy when placing the disk onto the turntable.
An object of the present invention is to provide an improved disk apparatus in which the above-described problems are eliminated.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a disk apparatus which can provide safe and reliable disk loading and ejecting operations of the disk loading mechanism.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a disk apparatus which can provide accurate positioning of the tray and the turntable when the disk is placed onto the turntable during the disk loading operation.
In order to achieve the above-mentioned objects, one preferred embodiment of the present invention provides a disk apparatus which includes a motor which provides a driving force, a tray which carries a disk from a disk-change position outside a main body of the disk apparatus to a disk-inserted position within the main body, the tray provided to be movable between the disk-change position and the disk-inserted position by using the driving force of the motor, a movable base which has a turntable for rotating the disk thereon and is provided to be movable relative to the tray between a clamping position where the disk on the turntable is held by a clamper and an unclamped position where the disk on the turntable is unclamped, and a drive device which moves up the movable base to the clamping position by using the driving force of the motor when the tray is at the disk-inserted position, and moves down the movable base from the clamping position to the unclamped position before the tray is moved toward the disk-change position, characterized in that the disk apparatus comprises: a movable-base position sensing switch which is turned from ON state into OFF state at a time the turntable of the movable base is separated from the clamper during the movement of the movable base to the unclamped position; and a control means for controlling the motor so that the driving force of the motor is used to move the tray and/or to move the movable base through the drive device, the control unit actuating the motor in a first direction to move the movable base to the unclamped position for a first period from the time the position sensing switch is turned into OFF state, actuating the motor in a reverse direction for a second period from an end of the first period, stopping the driving of the motor for a third period from an end of the second period, and actuating the motor in the first direction from an end of the third period such that the tray is moved to the disk-change position.
In the disk apparatus of the above preferred embodiment, the position sensing switch is turned from ON state into OFF state at the time the turntable of the movable base is separated from the clamper during the movement of the movable base to the unclamped position. It is possible to accurately detect the time the turntable is separated from the clamper during the disk ejecting operation.
Further, in the above preferred embodiment, the motor is actuated in the first direction to move the movable base to the unclamped position for the first period from the time the position sensing switch is turned into OFF state. As the movable base is lowered from the position of the tray, and the disk on the turntable is moved so as to be placed on the tray.
Further, in the above preferred embodiment, the motor is actuated in the reverse direction for the second period from the end of the first period. The speed of the movement of the movable base in the direction away from the tray is decreased at this time. The driving of the motor is stopped for the third period from the end of the second period. At this time, the braking force of the motor acts on the movable base so as to slowly place the disk onto the tray. The motor is then actuated in the first direction from the end of the third period such that the tray is moved to the disk-change position. The rattling of the disk within the tray during the movement can be avoided. Hence, the disk apparatus of the above preferred embodiment is effective in carrying out safe and reliable disk ejecting operation of the disk loading mechanism.
Further, in order to achieve the above-mentioned objects, another preferred embodiment of the present invention provides a disk apparatus which includes a motor which provides a driving force, a tray which carries a disk from a disk-change position outside a main body of the disk apparatus to a disk-inserted position within the main body, the tray provided to be movable between the disk-change position and the disk-inserted position by using the driving force of the motor, a movable base which has a turntable for rotating the disk thereon and is provided to be movable relative to the tray between a clamping position where the disk on the turntable is held by a clamper and an unclamped position where the disk on the turntable is unclamped, and a drive device which moves up the movable base to the clamping position by using the driving force of the motor when the tray is at the disk-inserted position, and moves down the movable base from the clamping position to the unclamped position before the tray is moved toward the disk-change position, characterized in that the disk apparatus comprises: a movable-base position sensing switch which is turned from OFF state into ON state at a time the movable base is moved to reach a predetermined position during the movement of the movable base to the clamping position; and a control means for controlling the motor so that the driving force of the motor is selectively used to move the tray or to move the movable base through the drive device, the control unit actuating the motor in a first direction to move the movable base to the clamping position for a first period from the time the position sensing switch is turned into ON state, actuating the motor in a reverse direction for a second period from an end of the first period, and actuating the motor in the first direction when the position sensing switch is turned into OFF state during the second period, such that the tray is moved to the disk-change position.
In the disk apparatus of the above preferred embodiment, the motor is actuated in the first direction to move the movable base to the clamping position for the first period from the time the position sensing switch is turned into ON state. The motor is actuated in the reverse direction for the second period from the end of the first period. The motor is actuated in the first direction when the position sensing switch is turned into OFF state during the second period, such that the tray is moved to the disk-change position.
Even when a foreign matter sticks to the tray on which the disk is placed and the disk loading operation is performed, it is possible to safely avoid the occurrence of a faulty disk loading operation. By using the position sensing switch, it is detected whether the foreign matter is present. If the presence of the foreign matter is detected, the control means functions to disconnect the turntable from the clamper during the disk loading operation.
Further, in the above preferred embodiment, the motor is actuated in the reverse direction for the second period from the end of the first period. The speed of the movement of the movable base is decreased at this time, and the braking force of the motor acts on the movable base. Hence, the disk apparatus of the above preferred embodiment is effective in carrying out safe and reliable disk loading operation of the disk loading mechanism.
Further, according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, a disk apparatus includes a tray which carries a disk from a disk-change position outside a main body of the disk apparatus to a disk-inserted position within the main body, the tray provided to be movable between the disk-change position and the disk-inserted position, and a movable base which has a spindle motor and a turntable for rotating the disk and is provided to be movable relative to the tray between a raised position and a lowered position, the movable base being moved, when the tray is at the disk-inserted position, to a connection position where the turntable on the movable base is connected to the disk on the tray, characterized in that the disk apparatus comprises a first positioning portion provided on the movable base, and a second positioning portion provided on the tray, and that the first and second positioning portions are configured to be connected to each other when the tray is located at the disk-inserted position and the movable base is located at the connection position, and the tray is positioned with respect to the position of the movable base by the connection of the first and second positioning portions.
In the disk apparatus of the above preferred embodiment, the first positioning portion is provided on the movable base, and the second positioning portion is provided on the tray. The first positioning portion and the second positioning portion are connected to each other when the tray is located at the disk-inserted position and the movable base is located at the connection position. The spindle motor and the turntable for rotating the disk are provided on the movable base. The tray is positioned with respect to the position of the movable base by the connection of the first and second positioning portions. The disk apparatus of the above preferred embodiment is effective in providing accurate positioning of the tray and the turntable when the disk is placed onto the turntable during the disk loading operation.